Abrasion-resistant shoe upper

ABSTRACT

An upper for a shoe includes a shell body having a toe part and a heel part. At least one of the toe part and the heel part is made of a composite material which includes a fabric layer having an outer surface and an inner surface, and an abrasion-resistant coating layer applied to the outer surface of the fabric layer. The coating layer has a thickness of about 0.05-0.25 mm, and is transparent to permit viewing of the outer surface of the fabric layer through the coating layer.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to an upper for a shoe, more particularly to an upper which is light-weight, soft, and abrasion-resistant.

2. Description of the Related Art

Materials used for forming uppers of shoes generally include leather, textile fabrics, vulcanized rubber, and various kinds of plastic materials. Among these materials, leather, vulcanized rubber and injection molded plastic materials are generally used for making toe caps and heel cups of shoes for climbing, hiking and hunting purposes, and have their advantages and disadvantages due to their inherent properties. For instance, while leather is comparatively soft, it is not water-resistant, and is susceptible to wearing and cracking. While vulcanized rubber is durable and resistant to water, it is relatively heavy. As for injected molded plastic materials, they are resistant to water but are not sufficiently durable and soft. In addition, since surface processing of leather and vulcanized rubber is relatively difficult, uppers made therefrom are rather monotonous in design, appearance and color. Expensive or time-consuming patterning techniques, such as transfer printing, will be required if patterns are to be formed on such uppers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an upper which has characteristics of lightweight, softness, durability, and water-resistance.

Accordingly, an upper for a shoe includes a shell body having a toe part and a heel part. At least one of the toe part and the heel part is made of a composite material which includes a fabric layer having an outer surface and an inner surface, and an abrasion-resistant coating layer applied to the outer surface of the fabric layer. The coating layer has a thickness of about 0.05-0.25 mm, and is transparent to permit viewing of the outer surface of the fabric layer through the coating layer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a shoe incorporating the first preferred embodiment of an upper according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the first preferred embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the first preferred embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the second preferred embodiment of an upper according to the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the third preferred embodiment of an upper according to the invention;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows a shoe 100 incorporating the first preferred embodiment of an upper according to this invention. The upper includes a shell body 10 having at least one part made of a composite material. In this embodiment, a toe part 101 and a heel part 102 of the shell body 10 are made of the composite material. Referring further to FIGS. 2 and 3, the composite material includes a fabric layer 11 having an outer surface 111 and an inner surface, and an abrasion resistant coating layer 12 applied to the outer surface 111 of the fabric layer 11. The fabric layer 11 and the coating layer 12 are laminated to each other.

The fabric layer 11 is made of a material selected from the group consisting of nylon, polyester, polycotton, cotton, acetate, and acrylic, and has a measure of softness so that it is comfortable to wear. In addition, the fabric layer 11 is of such a structure that it readily lends itself to a coloration treatment. The outer surface 111 of the fabric layer 11 can be directly formed to have desired patterns.

The coating layer 12 is formed from a material resistant to abrasion and water, and is made of a material selected from the group consisting of polyurethane (PU), thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), and polyvinylchloride (PVC). The coating layer 12 has a bonding surface 121 that is bonded to the outer surface 111 of the fabric layer 11 by glue or by hot-pressing to form a laminate. Thus, the toe part 101 and the heel part 102 of the shell body 10 of the upper are abrasion- and water-resistant. Preferably, the coating layer 12 has a thickness of about 0.05-0.25 mm, and is transparent to permit viewing of the outer surface 111 of the fabric layer 11 through the coating layer 12.

With the aforesaid construction, the upper of this invention can achieve the following advantageous effects:

1. The upper of this invention is relatively more abrasion-resistant compared with conventional uppers.

2. As the thickness of the coating layer 12 is in the range of 0.05-0.25 mm, the upper of this invention is comparatively soft and light, and can be manufactured at relatively low costs. In addition, the upper is not susceptible to creasing during the lasting process.

3. The upper of this invention has better resistance to water compared with conventional fabric and leather uppers. Moreover, patterns can be easily formed on the fabric layer 11. As the patterns are protected by the coating layer 12 covering the fabric layer 11, the appearance of the upper can be maintained.

Referring to FIG. 4, in the second preferred embodiment of an upper according to this invention, the composite material forming a part of the shell body 20 includes a fabric layer 21 and an abrasion-resistant coating layer 22. The fabric layer 21 is formed from a water-resistant material such that the fabric layer 21 has a water-resistant outer surface 211. The coating layer 22 is provided with a plurality of vent holes 221 that extend therethrough. With such a construction, this embodiment has the added advantage of breathability.

Referring to FIG. 5, in the third preferred embodiment of an upper according to this invention, the composite material includes a fabric layer 31 and an abrasion-resistant coating layer 32. The shell body 30 further has a waterproof layer 33 overlying an inner surface 312 of the fabric layer 31. Each of the fabric layer 31 and the coating layer 32 is provided with a plurality of vent holes 311, 321 extending therethrough. The vent holes 311 in the fabric layer 31 are registered with the corresponding vent holes 321 in the coating layer 32. This embodiment likewise has the advantages of water-resistance and breathability. In addition, as the waterproof layer 33 is disposed on the inner surface 312 of the fabric layer 31, it is protected from damage.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements. 

1. An upper for a shoe, comprising: a shell body having a toe part and a heel part, at least one of said toe part and said heel part being made of a composite material which includes a fabric layer having an outer surface and an inner surface, and an abrasion-resistant coating layer applied to said outer surface of said fabric layer, said coating layer having a thickness of about 0.05-0.25 mm and being transparent to permit viewing of said outer surface of said fabric layer through said coating layer.
 2. The upper as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fabric layer and said coating layer are laminated with each other.
 3. The upper as claimed in claim 1, wherein said fabric layer is made of a material selected from the group consisting of nylon, polyester, polycotton, cotton, acetate, and acrylic.
 4. The upper as claimed in claim 1, wherein said coating layer is made of a material selected from the group consisting of polyurethane, thermoplastic polyurethane, and polyvinylchloride.
 5. The upper as claimed in claim 1, wherein said coating layer is provided with a vent hole.
 6. The upper as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shell body further has a waterproof layer overlying said inner surface of said fabric layer.
 7. The upper as claimed in claim 7, wherein each of said fabric layer and said coating layer has a vent hole. 